In this case I have limited the discussion to majors and will focus on the question, If Jack and Tiger were both in their primes, who wins?. RELATED: Catch up on every important shot from Saturday at Augusta with our minute-by-minute live updates. Like it or not, there are many who root against Woods because of his philandering, and that undoubtedly will affect how he's remembered. United States on the 19th tee during the Paynes Valley Cup on September 22, Jack broke another Hogan scoring record at the 1967 U.S. Open in winning by four shots over Palmer. Sign up for the For The Win newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. It looks like an upside-down pitchfork. Maybe Jack could call Tiger the greatest golfer of all time and Tiger could call Jack the greatest champion of all time. And were all still asking the same question: Tiger or Jack? His consistency in PGA Tour events is something to be admired. Then last April, Tiger turned back the clock and won the Masters, leaving fans in tears as he pumped his fist on the 18th green Sunday afternoon at Augusta National. My short games great. From 1962-1978, Jacks prime, just two foreign players (Gary Player and Tony Jacklin) won at the Masters, U.S. Open or PGA Championship. How many titles does Tiger Woods have? 3, Palmer No. Both are Hall of Famers and have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor. Ever. Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus - Tiger Woods News 11. Because really, either answer is pretty freakin good. Nicklaus finished second in 19 majors, and Woods has six runner-up results. "He's the greatest champion that's ever lived," Woods said of Nicklaus after winning the Memorial in 2012. Jack Nicklaus vs Tiger Woods | The Open's Greatest The Open 120K subscribers Subscribe 8.3K views 11 months ago Tiger and Jack need no introduction. You have one golf tournament to win. Clearly when it comesto theweek-to-week grind of the Tour, Tiger has no equal. Tiger, in defense of his 2019 Masters title, sat 33rd in the worldwhich just happened to be the same position Nicklaus was ranked before he won his sixth green jacket. More: List of Tigers injuries through the years. With 18 wins to his name, Nicklaus is currently leading. This is one argument that will wage for years to come, and I personally dont have the answer to it. Woods holds the record for both the lowest adjusted and unadjusted scoring average . Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, The only men to truly go toe-to-toe with him in the final round of a major were Y.E. However, maybe just statistically, certain people might be inclined towards Nicklaus. In the end, both men will go down as the two greatest golfers in the games history, but Nicklaus has to be given the title of GOAT because when it mattered most, he was the more successful of the two. Result: Tiger by 37. He took the PGA Tour to a whole new level and continues to make many golfers absolutely filthy rich because of all the money Tiger brought into the game. Championships monopolize the G.O.A.T. At the British Open in the summer of 72, Jack struggled in the first three rounds but shot a 66 on the final day (a course record) to get to the top of the leaderboard. Tiger Woods is sidelined for an indefinite amount of time after undergoing surgery on his right ankle to address post-traumatic arthritis caused by injuries suffered in his single-car crash in Los Angeles in February 2021. WINS ROUNDS MONEY; Tiger Woods: 1025: 198: 82: 1,375: $120,954,766: Explore. This was in SI this week. He won 27 overall tournaments from 1999-2002 and then 25 tournaments from 2005-2008. When Tiger won the 1997 Masters his score of 270 broke by. Tigers biggest rival is Phil Mickelson, a guy best known for his collapses who not only failed to outduel Tiger on a Sunday, he failed to even duel him. While five players have won the Players twice (Woods included), Nicklaus is the only player to win the Tours flagship event three times, doing so in the events first 5 years. When you look back over the duration of their careers, and the totality of their victories, the edge goes to Woods. Is Tigers compressed run of success more impressive? Neither needed a breaking-in period when it came to majors. Nicklauss best streak was 105. He may yetsilence all critics (myself included) who rank him a slim tissuethickness behind Jack with the work he does over the next decade. Using the 'Sam Snead criteria' for wins, Tiger Woods actually has 95 Now, you can make two counterpoints to that statement the same ones people use to defend Serena Williams against similar criticism. How much money has Tiger Woods won in his career? Who's the GOAT? Settling the Debate Between Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus It basically means that whereas in Nicklaus' era the top few players in the world won a significant number of PGA Tour events, in Tiger Woods' era there is far more parity which can be. Apart from that, both legends have also inspired generations to take up the game. Thru their 55th Major Tournament (Masters, U S Open, British, PGA), here's how they compare: Age - Tiger 33 Jack 33 Wins - Tiger 14 Jack 11 2nd Place - Tiger 5 Jack 11 3rd Place - Tiger 3 Jack 5 Top 10's - Tiger 31 Jack 36 Top 25's - Tiger 44 Jack - 45 Missed Cuts - Tiger 4 Jack 6 Scoring Average - Tiger 70.63 Jack 71.64 Part of that was the standard lip service you pay to Nicklaus after winning his tournament, but part of it is knowing only one stat matters. I also have to go with pizza. Finishing as a runner-up or in the Top-5 of a major is also considered a good result. Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing Were the Nike guys who came up with the swoosh and jumpman logo on vacation when it came time to design Woods' emblem? 7. The late Frank Chirkinian hated it when anyone would try to compare Jack Nicklaus to Ben Hogan. Tiger Woods Vs Jack Nicklaus | StatMuse Hes won 15 of them, of which three came at The Open Championship. 11 reasons Jack Nicklaus is better than Tiger Woods - USA Today Woods might be a few majors short, but he still has time to catch Nicklaus (though the chances of that have greatly decreased since his single-car accident in 2021). Tiger had a still-impressive run of 17 straight seasons with a top 10. For instance, Usain Bolt is faster than Carl Lewis was and Carl Lewis was faster than Jesse Owens. 2023 While Nicklaus finished second more than 10 times to players on that list, Woods' runner-up finishes have been to one-hit wonders like Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Rich Beem, Y.E. Jack finished higher 38 times to Tiger's 22, with the twogreats tying four times. Are players such as Mickelson, Els, Singh, and Goosen just as good today as Palmer, Player, Trevino, Casper, and Watson were, and is Tiger just that much better than them? For the casual golf fan, hearing the names Palmer, Player, Trevino, and Casper coupled together as Nicklaus main competitors immediately leads one to believe that Nicklaus faced some of the toughest competition imaginable during his career. Jack Nicklaus vs Tiger Woods | The Open's Greatest - YouTube Sit around any 19th hole for way too long and you might hear this question pop up: who is the greatest golfer of all-time, Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? Tiger: Won his Masters at 43, still time to be a super old winner. After a disappointing Masters in 2000, Tiger had won just one of the last 12 majors and despite his historic victory in Augusta three years before, it felt like he was underperforming. Tiger had 15 such tournaments in the 2000s (counting the two events. Woods made more on Tour in one year than Nicklaus did in his entire career 11 times: 1999 ($6,616,585), 2000 ($9,188,321), 2002 ($6,912,625), 2003 ($6,673,413), 2005 ($10,628,024), 2006 ($9,941,563), 2007 ($10,867,052), 2008 ($5,775,000), 2009 ($10,508,163), 2012 ($6,133,158), 2013 ($8,553,439). Who is the greatest golfer ever: Tiger or Jack? | For The Win Tiger won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15 shots and followed it up a month later by shooting 19-under at the Old Course to win the British Open by eight strokes. She has a keen eye for Woods plight. Furthermore, Woods has 82 PGA Tour wins, while Nicklaus has 73. Nicklaus is 1-1 as a U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup and 2-1-1 leading the Americans in the Presidents Cup. MS: All eyes on Finau, Rahm; all ears on McIlroy, Green wins three-way playoff at JM Eagle LA, Mexico payout: Rahm sets record before May, Timeline: A look at Tiger's injuries in his career, Tiger announces he's undergone ankle surgery, Day: Screw broke through Tiger's skin at PGA. And I know I could be seen as biased because Ive been fortunate to live through Tigers prime. That being said, Woods has certainly started less (86) major events than Nicklaus (164). Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nicklaus was better at Augusta during his prime. The 22 times Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods played in the same major That feeling didnt last long. Jesse Owens was 5-10, Carl Lewis is 6-2 and Usain Bolt is 6-5. In a span of 10 months, Tiger won the career Slam, became the first man to ever hold all four major titles at once and jumped ahead of the pace his hero set en route to his hallowed 18 majors. In the case of Woods, his unquestionable biggest rival was Phil Mickelson. Five is the career total for legends of the game like Ballesteros and Byron Nelson. Insanity. There have been few worthy adversaries. At his best Tiger might have the slightest edge over Jack in the majors during this time period,but the majority of the time even these two weren't at their best and inthat case Jack was easily the winner. Tiger has held the outright 36-hole lead 33 times in his Tour career. Its a title thats become common in conversations about sports and gets thrown around far too casually in some regards these days. So, with the following caveats Nicklaus and Woods are 1A and 1B on the all-time list; these facts pro-Jack, not anti-Tiger; and that all of this can change over the next 15 years USA TODAY Sports presents 11 reasons why Jack Nicklaus is greater than Tiger Woods. They both had a stretch of winning at least one major title in six of nine years. Jack, of course, never won four straight, though he did come close. Who won the U.S. Open? . From his knee to his back, take a look back at the various injuries in Tiger Woods' career as well as his multiple returns to competition. Who is the GOAT in golf? Tiger has three more majors than any other man and five more than anyone whos played in the last 60 years, but he still cant compete with Jack in the number that matters most. If the debate of GOAT is based solely on major titles, Nicklaus is the winner hands down. Despite all the numbers, the GOAT debate might never have a conclusion. It also reignited an old debate: Can Tiger break Jack Nicklaus' record for the most major championship wins . It just says that Tigers peers never put pressure on him on a Sunday and he never put pressure on them. Let us know in the comments below. With every passing year, however, the Tiger Slam becomes more and more remarkable. . When Tiger won the 1997 Masters his score of 270 broke by one shot therecord that Jack had set in his 1965 rout. Which is a more demanding situation, a farlarger number of overall competitors or a smaller, more concentrated group of great competitors? Of those two players, neither won a major when he was older than 33. This is where the debate gets interesting and harder to quantify. Period. Tiger won his first major as a pro, the 1997 Masters, at age 21, destroying the rest of the field by a record 12 shots. Even if you think Tiger will win more majors (and I do), getting five and topping Nicklaus is nearly unfathomable. National team appearances are a challenging comparison due to playing partners being a tricky variable. Even with those impressive numbers, he still cant compete with Nicklaus. Through last month's Masters, the 37-year-old Tiger Woods has 14 wins in 63 major championship starts as a professional; through the 1977 Masters, the 37-year-old Nicklaus had 14 wins in. I personally believe that 150 legitimate competitors is a tougher challenge to face than a group of five or so great competitors. (Two of Tigers poor final rounds made Ben Curtis and Michael Campbell major champions.) Who won the Masters? Jack won six Masters, four U.S. The cut streak. Well, guess what: Back in 1986, Nicklaus' position was wait for it T-17. Thirty years later, Tiger would do the same before a 28th-place finish at the British ended his chances.). Whether he makes the cut or not, he adds to the tournament in so many ways. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/08/tiger-woods-or-jack-nicklaus-golf-greatest-of-all-time-goat, 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta: 3 sleepers worth betting on to upset Jon Rahm, Jon Rahm's odds at the 2023 Mexico Open are a callback to Tiger Woods' prime, Videos showing how slow Patrick Cantlay plays golf are the funniest new memes, Matt Fitzpatrick won an additional $1.42 million at RBC Heritage thanks to an unreal shot, 7 golfers (Max Homa!) So well start the comparison in those years, and compare each mans first major with the others first major, second to second, and so forth. All comparisons, he would bellow, referring to those that involved athletes of different generations, are onerous.". Woods benefited from being slow to mature physically, in contrast to Nicklaus, who was 5-feet-10 and 165 pounds at age 13. Tiger Woods also has more major championship wins than Jack Nicklaus, with 15 to his name. Nicklaus had the famous "yes sir!" How Jack Nicklaus' sixth Masters win aged 46 tops Tiger Woods - CNN This list of players is simply comprised to show that Tiger Woods is faced a far wider pool of legitimate competitors than Jack Nicklaus faced during his career. The evidence suggests Tiger was beating up on inferior competition. That's more than one stroke better than Nicklaus' per-round average of 71.98. Tiger or Jack: Who is the greatest golfer of all time? Heres why. Many casual golf fans immediately think that Nicklaus played during golfs golden age and was faced with more competition from greater players. "@cartiluver14 @SonnyWeems123 Post car crash sources + Golf Digest has an admitted partnership with Woods and they were called out on it, they also, stopped using the Logo when they mention Tiger." The loss to Yang was the only time he didnt close. There can never be a conclusive statement. But you dont want to see anybody in pain. Ofthe 64 majors Tiger has played as a professional, hes finished outside ofthe top 10 some 26 times while winning 14. Overall, the current depth of fields and reach of international talent exceeds that in the days of Nicklaus. Nicklaus was on top of the golf world (or close to it) for 18 years. He went on to win 28 of them (84.8 percent). Nicklaus main competitors won 29 percent of all major championships played during the prime of Nicklaus career. He adds so much to the game every time he tees up. Woods has won 79 PGA Tour events which is second only to Sam Snead's 82 and is already six ahead of Nicklaus. 1 in the world, he was followed by David Duval, Colin Montgomery, Davis Love III, and Ernie Els. Yang and Michael Campbell. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File) ORG XMIT: NYDD203. Second, could it be that Tigers competition is inferior because of Tiger? At 42, Tiger would need to replicate Mickelsons entire major career to become the all-time leader. The off-course earnings arent even a comparison. In the two in which he didn't, he tied for 11th and 13th. We talk quite a bit, Nicklaus said. Obviously Woods should not be punished in this comparison for missing tournaments, so they are not counted in this quest to determine whowas more dominant in his era. But then again, I have no way of knowing whether Nicklaus toughest competitors were indeed better than Woods toughest competitors, or whether Woods is that much better than Nicklaus that he has been able to distance himself from players that are equally as good as Nicklaus competitors were. Follow along here. Hear what our crew of Anna Whiteley, Dam. But what if we had to have that discussion today? No predictions for the future or presumed milestones. You can pick any player from any point in their career. Golf Channel, All Rights Reserved. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus career comparisons In a particular major where they are both playing theirbest, Tiger wins in a playoff. who shockingly missed the cut at RBC Heritage, Patrick Cantlay drained a hole-in-one at the RBC Heritage and was promptly roasted for his slow pace, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Aside from him, there are just two other players with three major wins during the Tiger era: Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. Now, a quarter-century later, the two are still inextricably linked, just as they were win Tiger was winning U.S. In terms of his golf legacy, Woods' past shouldn't count any more or less than Nicklaus' scandal-free career. Tiger is still a man at work. At various points in his career, Jack won three of six majors (1966 Masters to 1967 U.S. Open) and four of eight (1970 British Open to 1972 U.S. Open). (Not that anyone was really paying attention to a potential NicklaSlam. Is Tiger just that much better that his skill level allows him to exceed that of his direct competitors by a larger gap than Nicklaus was able to achieve? conversations in every sport, but obviously theres a lot more to golf than just four weekends per year. Tiger won four majors in a row from the 2000 U.S. Open through the 2001 Masters, a Tiger Slam instead of a Grand Slam only because all four wins did not come in the same calendar year. Opens, three British Opens and five PGA Championships. A psychology Nicklaus has played in six, with a 17-8-3 record. I dont buy that one. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. Tiger had 15 such tournaments in the 2000s (counting the two events he missed with injury). Of his 163 rounds at the tournament, more than 40 were played after he turned 50 years old. Mickelson hasn't, and neither has Els. This ones mind-blowing: Jack finished inside the top 10 in 31 of 33 majors from 1970-78. But he wont need to top Jacks 18 to pass him as the greatest; given the circumstances, if he can win two more majors and, say, eight more tournament titles, itd be hard to say he was second-best to anyone. Tiger had 14. he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. He was compared to Mozart. Open Championship Victory. The casual golf fan will associate Nicklaus competition withthe likes ofArnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, and Tom Watson. His winning percentage was 26% and won 14 majors in his first 63 starts. But the circumstances of a time and generation do not provide a level playing field. But, on any given week, Tiger Woods is playing against 150+ players that have a realistic, legitimate chance to win if they get hot that particular week. Forbes estimates Woods net worth to be at least $1 billion, which puts him alongside NBA stars LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the worlds only billionaire athletes. During his career, Tiger has seen winners come from Fiji, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, South Korea, England, Germany, New Zealand and South Africa a United Nations of major champions. I think its a lot more serious. Phil never beat Tiger on a major Sunday. Some might argue that no one else took home the trophies during Tigers reign because he was winning all of them. So while both golfers have had incredible careers, it does appear that Tiger Woods has had a slightly more successful run. But what about golf? He has a career winning percentage of25 percent; Jack's winning percentage through the end of 1979 was 18 percent. Not all professional golf wins are equal. The overall win total in tournaments reveals one interesting thingWoods in his prime was better than prime Nicklaus. When you think of Jack Nicklaus, the first thing that comes to mind is major championships. Nicklaus made just $5,734,031, placing him 338th. The last category to compare Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus is the level of competition each player faced on a weekly basis. When he won a greenjacket again in 1965 by nine shots over Palmer and Gary Player (theonly time the Big Three would ever finish in the top three together in amajor), he shaved three strokes off the scoring record of 274 set in 1953 byHogan. Copyright 1996 - One interesting fact is Woods has three more majors than any other player and five more than anyone who has played in the last 60 years. Despite his thrilling 2019 Masters victory, Tiger's 45th trip around the sun is a reminder that he will almost certainly not reach the ever-elusive 19-major championship mark to best Jack. Then the back surgeries happened and we didnt know if hed ever be back again. The man with the most major championships is the greatest golfer in history. Tiger Woods Explains the Raw Feeling of Winning a Major Championship: Catapults RIDGEDALE, MISSOURI SEPTEMBER 22: Jack Nicklaus talks to Tiger Woods of the Nobody had seen players like them. Its tricky comparing athletes from different generations. Republic World for around two years now. Tom Brady is the GOAT as far as NFL quarterbacks. Does Tiger Woods Need to Break Jack Nicklaus' Record of 18 Major Titles Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are arguably the two greatest golfers to ever play the game. Mixed in there was the Tiger Slam his streak of four-straight majors which will likely serve as the lead on his sports obituary. His rivals were killers too Palmer got him at Cherry Hills, Trevino took him down four different times including on an 18-hole playoff at Merion and Tom Watson won three majors over Nicklaus, all in heartbreaking fashion. In comparison, Jack Nicklaus' 36-hole outright conversion rate was 63. There are arguments to be made in Woods' defense, but even he has to admit that until he gets to 19, he's just chasing down the Golden Bear. Jack Nicklaus on Tiger Woods: 'He's the Best' | Golf Channel Jack Nicklaus, whose record of 18 majors is looking more safe with every passing day and every injury Woods sustains, prefaced his comments . Most golf major wins: Will Tiger Woods ever catch Jack Nicklaus? Clock The older of the two has also been the runner-up 19 times as opposed to Woods 7. After all, there werent many majors to be had when Woods was taking seven in three years. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are the two greatest golfers to have competed in major championships. (And the first is debatable too.) Tiger Woods has 198 top ten finishes with 82 wins and has won $120,954,766 in his career. With his 24-year-old eldest son Jackie as his caddie, Nicklaus opened with a modest 74 but improved with rounds of 71 and 69 to sit in a tie for ninth going into the final day. Tiger Woods' chase for Nicklaus' major record is back on. Just ask Jack Nicklaus recounted how he sat next to Woods at the Champions Dinner at the Masters, as he does most years. In the 1970s, Nicklaus only finished outside the top 10 in five majors. Jack Nicklaus dishes on what Tiger Woods said about injured ankle at See trending; Company. Jack Nicklaus vs. Tiger Woods: Who Faces Tougher Competition? One has 18 majors, the other 15. The overall win total in tournaments reveals one interesting thingWoods in his prime was better than prime Nicklaus. Woods has, to this point, only finished second on six occasions. My puttings good. He said, I just cant walk. And he says, If it helps where I can walk, Im willing to do it. . Thats too good. These are all the significant stats you need to know about how two GOATs of golf performed in major championships. and During Tiger Woods' career, his main competitors in majors have been Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, and Jim Furyk. Tiger Woods has 7 major runners-up finishes and 33 major Top-5 finishes. Usain Bolt made me look harder at the careers of Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens. In the end, major titles arent given more weight because of their timing. Nicklaus did still own the advantage in major titles, 18-16, after all. For those paying attention, some interesting parallels existed between Tiger Woods in 2020 and Jack Nicklaus in 1986 as we entered this week. For me, that question is like if someone asked me what I like more, tacos or pizza. If you buy into this Tiger/Jack narrative, and theres some strong evidence in this favor, that would mean theres at least a chance of some more history accomplished by Tiger at Augusta National. Jack has 18 majors and Tiger has 14 majors, therefore Jack is the greatest of all time. How much does Jacks longevity help his cause? Director of Professional Golf isnt a normal position at golf club, but Quail Hollow isn't a normal club. But what changes that narrative is thisNicklaus finished second in majors 19 times. There are any number of ways to compare Woods and Nicklaus. But his comeback bid ended when Lee Trevino chipped in on No. Jack: Won the Masters at age 46, making him the third-oldest major winner ever. 73. (Correction: I'm often at golf courses trying to act like I play golf.) But. Tiger Woods has had to compete against the likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, and many other perennial PGA Tour winners. Well, because it is! Both players have outstanding Open. Even in a sports such as sprinting, where numbers on a stopwatch tell what appears to be a cut-and-dried story, theres more than meets the eye. Tiger's 15-shot win inthe 2000 U.S. Open set a record for widest margin of victory, but his scoreof 272 only tied the record (since bettered by Rory Mcilroy) that Jackset in the 1980 U.S. Open. Who has won the most tournaments all-time? It must be noted that this comparison involves only majors; if you expand it to include regular Tour events Tiger wins easily. And as Tiger Woods returns to major championship competition with this weeks British Open, resuming his pursuit of Nicklaus 18 majors, the debate is officially rekindled. For some people, its as simple as this. 17 and Nicklaus missed out on his personal Slam by one shot. In 1963, Jack became, at 23, the youngest to win the Masters. Tiger Woods has 198 top ten finishes with 82 wins and has won $120,954,766 in his career. - Nicklaus got the better of Woods on five of the 22 occasions, most notably his T6 to Tiger's T8 in the 1998 Masters when Nicklaus was 58 years old. Because Im comparing majors by the specific number they were in each mans career, I have compared the 1971 PGA, Nicklaus 37th major, with the 2006 Masters, Woods 37th major. Was Palmer, Player, Trevino, and Watson a lot better than Tigers competition, thus providing Nicklaus with tougher head-to-head competition each week? Woods won 27 tournaments from 1999-2002 and added 25 tournament trophies to his collection from 2005-2008. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. Winning a major is no cakewalk in golf. Tiger Woods or Jack Nicklaus? The answer to that is very easy.
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